The History of Urban Clothing
The history of urban clothing begins in New York City, but it quickly spread to other inner cities including Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. It's sometimes known as hip-hop clothing or street clothing because it's favored by hip-hop artists. The roots of this style date back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, but changed as different artists and designers began creating clothing lines of their own. Does this Spark an idea?
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Pre-1985
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The real start of urban clothing came about in the late 1970s and early 1980s as hip-hop music grew in popularity. Teenagers who listened to the music wanted to dress like their favorite artists and looked for clothing like they wore. Designers realized that this was a new market and immediately set about attaching themselves to different artists. Keds, Nike, Adidas and Kangol were the top brands. Adidas was known for its shell-toe track shoes worn by artists like Run-DMC, and Kangol's bucket hats like those favored by L.L. Cool J were both popular choices.
Late 1980s
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In the late 1980s urban clothing leaned more toward accessories. While the same clothing brands remained popular, those on the street also wanted the same type of jewelry worn by hip-hop performers. The heavy gold necklaces and earrings worn by artists like Kurtis Blow and Salt-N-Pepa were popular with those watching their favorite stars. Men and women alike wore name belts, name plate necklaces and oversize sunglasses. There's a theory that the style related back to Africa.
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Black Nationalism
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Urban clothing changed in the early 1990s to incorporate the idea of black nationalism, with artists and others embracing the idea of clothing influenced by African traditions. MC Hammer with his oversize pants in traditional African colors and patterns was one of the first examples of this. He was followed by Queen Latifah who proudly wore oversize dresses and headdresses. Other artists wearing this type of clothing included Public Enemy and KRS-One.
The 1990s
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The 1990s saw a number of different changes in urban clothing. The use of brightly colored neon clothing was a look that people on the street could emulate. There was also a change as many people switched from Adidas shoes to Nike shoes. This was partly blamed on NBA star Michael Jordan, who not only started wearing the shoes, but designed his own line for the company. There was also a type of urban clothing known as gangsta, which used oversize pants, flannel shirts and worn-in shoes such as Converse.
Designers
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Starting in the late 1990s and continuing today, hip-hop artists and designers have changed the face of urban clothing by launching their own lines. Tommy Hilfiger clothing grew in popularity with the general public after rappers like Coolio, Puff Daddy and Snoop Doggy Dogg showed up in his clothes. The world also saw the launch of specific urban clothing lines including FUBU, Boss Jeans and Lugz. Artists such as Nelly, Puff Daddy and Eve also released their own clothing lines targeted toward the street or urban style.
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